Annual Statement

Annual Governance Statement for The South Hams Federation Board of Governors

Stokenham Area Primary School
Malborough with South Huish C of E Primary School
Loddiswell Primary School
Modbury County Primary School

September 2018

The Work achieved by the Board of Governors in the Academic Year 2017 – 2018

The Board of Governors has had another busy year:

The Federation continues to be a part of the South Devon Primary Partnership.

The Governors give out Governors awards every term to children who work hard and have been kind and considerate to others.

The Federation’s single budget was approved and we are pleased to report the Federation is in a healthy financial position.

New projects linked with Ofsted outcomes have been identified for the School Improvement Plan 2018-2019.

All the schools Curriculum Maps have been circulated.

The monitoring of our in house school meals has been a priority throughout the year. With a governor leading on this and making sure all the food standards are in place and sourcing local fresh produce.

The board continued to make attendance a high priority. The monitoring of attendance is monitored on a monthly basis.

Governors received safeguarding training.

The Executive Head Teacher’s Performance Management has been conducted and new targets set for the year.

The Board of Governors has looked at Subject Leaders’ performance, Pupil Premium outcomes, SEND and children at risk together with the progress and attainment of able children. Continuing to develop Greater depth in all Foundation subjects.

The Board has also reviewed the Sports Premium funding and evaluated its impact on all groups of pupils. This continues to be a high priority for the Board.

The Forest School curriculum continues to be a high priority across all the schools in the federation. Measuring the impact this has across all groups of children.

The Board of Governors has closely monitored pupil data. They reviewed in detail in the autumn term key stage 2 SATs, early years and key stage 1 phonics screening results.

The Board of Governors has ensured continued investment in IT across the Federation and has approved the purchase of 40 new ipads for Loddiswell and Malborough and twelve new interactive whiteboards across the Federation

Target Tracker is used to track pupil progress based on the Learning Journey /Steps devised by the Federation to track children’s progress through the expectations for each year of the national curriculum.

Monitoring and observing the quality and consistency of teachers’ CPD and all INSET is based on impacting positively on pupil progress and improving the quality of teaching and learning through identified key priorities for the School Improvement Plan 2018-2019.

The School Improvement Plan (SIP) has been reviewed throughout the year and the new SIP 2018-2019 will be reviewed and adopted at the September Board meeting 2018.

The Governors have remained focused on the data within the Executive Headteacher’s Report of pupils’ performance and progress across the Federation in EYFS, Key Stage 1 and throughout Key Stage 2, analysing year-on-year data and trends over time.

All schools within the Federation are judged “Good” With Stokenham being “Outstanding” from October 2012.

One of the roles of Governors is to review and agree policies. During the year Governors have continued to identify and consider a number of key policies. All the statutory policies are on the School website. The Federation are GDPR compliant

The Federation school mini bus has it’s yearly service and MOT

For the Academic Year 2017-2018 there has been little staff movement – two teachers have moved onto to new posts closer to their homes and one member of staff has moved to a larger school within the federation to widen experience.

A number of building works and improvements were carried out:

Loddiswell

The new school was completed during 2017-2018, with the whole school moving onto the new site over the Easter holidays 2018. Staff worked hard to prepare the school and their classrooms over the Easter break, they ensured that the school was ready to welcome the children and their families to the new setting on the 16th April 2018. Loddiswell Pre School has now joined the Federation from 1st September 2018. Balanceability bikes have been purchased and enjoyed by the KS1 children. Staff training is complete. A new adventure playground has been installed over the summer break and a Forest School Pergola erected. New Interactive Whiteboards have been installed in all four classrooms. New turf has been laid. New fencing outside early years, canopy area has also been installed.

Stokenham

The school continues its painting rolling programme. The new KS1 outside play area has been completed. New Trim Trail equipment and balanceability bikes have been purchased and training for staff complete, the children in KS 1 have been enjoying the challenge. New interactive whiteboards have been installed in three of the Key Stage 2 classrooms. The caretaker’s bungalow and outside walls, pool area and front gates have been painted. Devon Air Ambulance night landing equipment has been installed. New chain link fence at the bottom of Key Stage 1 playground has been erected. Double-glazing repairs to the main school and caretakers bungalow have been completed. A purpose built forest school shelter has been erected and the taps have been replaced taps across the school.

Malborough with South Huish

Balanceability bikes have been purchased and training for staff complete. The old Devon Lady classroom (class 2) has been replaced over the summer holidays 2018 creating a new classroom with toilets. The Library has been painted together with the porch area and the front doors have all been painted red. LED lighting has been installed throughout the school over the summer and new interactive white boards fitted. A new Parent notice board has been erected, a new sink fitted in the school kitchen, a tree cut down to allow for access to the new classroom and a new replacement pool cover has been installed.

Modbury

New adventure playground equipment has been installed with new Trim Trail equipment and balanceability bikes have been purchased and training for staff complete. Year 1, 2, 5, and 6 classrooms have been painted and refurbished. The courtyard walls in the playground have also been painted. The pool cover has been replaced. New signage around the school has been erected. DCC flood defence works is ongoing, which has necessitated the movement of the forest school area. Planned staff/visitor car park on hard core laid by contractor.

Church Links: Malborough with South Huish C of E Primary

The Foundation Governors have a particular responsibility towards Malborough with South Huish C of E Primary School to “preserve and develop its religious character in accordance with the ethos of the Church of England and in partnership with the church at parish and diocesan level” as well as to “encourage an understanding of the meaning and significance of faith, and promote Christian values through the experience it offers to all its pupils”. The Ethos Group has worked with the Church and Diocese to implement Christian values throughout the curriculum of the school and the community of Malborough and its surrounding area. The school has weekly assemblies, daily collective worship and once a month the whole school visits the church for their monthly church service, with the children actively taking part and Holy Communion lessons for the Year 6 children in the summer term. Once a week the church organist comes to school to teach the children hymns. The school prayer is said before lunch every day. The children are actively working with the church community. The school was awarded In January 2016 the Gold RE Mark. SIAMS Inspection (November 2016) the school was judged Good. The school has a new Vision and Ethos Statement, which is on the Website.

Future Plans for the Governors

The Board of Governors looks forward to the challenges the autumn term 2018 will bring. We have a new Board of Governors as Kingsbridge Community Primary School joined the South Hams Federation on the 1st September 2018. We look forward to continuing the work to improve and maintain teaching standards across all five schools, so as to ensure that outcomes for all pupils remain high in all subjects. We will continue to ensure that all children within the South Hams Federation receive a broad, balanced and cohesive curriculum entitlement; that encourages all of our children to become independent, resilient, resourceful learners for life. The Federation’s priority will be to ensure Kingsbridge Primary School achieves a ‘Good’ Ofsted at the next inspection. We acknowledge that as Stokenham is currently rated ‘Outstanding’ (October 2012) the school may well have an inspection this academic year. The Governors will continue to monitor and build on the Federation’s strengths and weaknesses as outlined in the School Improvement Plan (SIP 2018 – 2019). The Ethos Group along with the Board of Governors will work on the areas to improve after the last SIAMS Inspection (November 2016) The Governors will continue to develop their skills and update their knowledge, attend governor training courses (internal and external) and through visits to each of the schools, conducting Monitoring Visits, meeting the children, sampling the school lunches and ensuring best value and maintaining a balanced budget, alongside being strategic not operational, to challenge and support the Executive Head Teacher and the Federation Business manager, the Board will be able to maintain a strong governance. We also look forward to continuing the work with the South Devon Primary Partnership a group of 11 maintained primary schools to develop joint partnership working for the benefit of the children and staff within these schools.

How You Can Contact the Board of Governors

We always welcome feedback, suggestions and ideas from parents: Please contact the Chair of Governors, Mrs. Jane Greaves, via the Modbury School Office.